Roughly three-quarters of those attending the budget deliberations at Anderson County Commission wore red—”Red for Public Ed”—on Monday, July 20, 2015. (File photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Note: This story was last updated at 11 p.m.
CLINTON—The Anderson County Commission has again approved a 10-cent tax rate increase for 2 percent pay raises for county employees, teachers, and school staff, and this time the result is final.
The first attempt in July ended in a legislative stalemate when commissioners failed to raise the tax rate by 10 cents, even though the budget they had passed earlier anticipated that increase. Commissioners first vote on the budget and then vote on the tax rate.
In their second attempt on Thursday, August 13, commissioners first approved budgets with the total 10-cent increase and then raised the tax rate by 10 cents. That ended a long process that began as early as May and included seven meetings, according to one official.
“We’re just relieved that the process is finally over,” said Rachel Minardo, president of the Anderson County Education Association. [Read more…]
